


Childhood Trauma

by MythoManiacal



Category: RWBY
Genre: Childhood Trauma, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Family, Hurt/Comfort, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Past Child Abuse, Psychological Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-18 10:01:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28741431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MythoManiacal/pseuds/MythoManiacal
Summary: The Siege of Atlas ends in a loss for Salem. However, the trauma in Jaune's childhood surfaces after years of him trying to ignore its existence. (Jaune's father is tagged as an OC, as he is not yet in the character list) \ (One-Shot)
Relationships: Jaune Arc/Ruby Rose
Kudos: 4





	Childhood Trauma

**Author's Note:**

> The following story has been made almost entirely by AI Dungeon’s Dragon model and has been polished manually to remove grammatical and spelling errors, as well as unintentional retcons that the AI introduced to its own story.

During the siege of Atlas by Salem, hunters came from all around Remnant to assist. This included everyone able in your family. Your 'father' also came. He was shocked when he saw you fighting on the front lines competently, as he always believed that you were weak.

He would tell you that if you wanted to be a Huntsman, then you would have to prove yourself first. The issue with that, was that it was bullshit. Since you were not a prodigy from the start, he never trained you, meaning you could not prove yourself, so he wouldn't train you.

Your relationship with your father is incredibly strained. You used to be a happy family, at least until your mother died protecting you. You were 7 years old. You and your mother were camping, but a huge horde of Grimm attacked. Your mother died fighting trying to protect you till her last breath.

Your father blamed you, and slowly started becoming a distant alcoholic. At first, he had decided that you were not, under ANY circumstances, to become a huntsman. Over the course of the next few years, he gradually worsened. Eventually, he became both physically and mentally abusive.

The first time when he saw you training in secret to go to a combat school eventually, he decided to show you how 'weak' you really were. He gave you a brutal beating, calling it ‘training’. He did this every single time he saw you training against his wishes.

Over the next year, he went fully off his rocker. He would abuse you for random things, even for things you did not do. Sometimes he would forget his keys somewhere, but abuse you, saying that you hid them.

He would, along with the beatings, force you to take dangerously addictive drugs. He would then get rid of them once you were fully addicted, so you would go through hellish withdrawals.

At the age of 11, you ran from home. You took shelter for the night in a randomly chosen warehouse, as it was getting dangerously cold outside, with the wind chills. The warehouse you had chosen was owned by Roman Torchwick. You were lucky that he had chosen to take you in, as he pitied you. You reminded him of Neo when he took her in. Roman Torchwick, your new dad, was the reason you got fake transcripts to go to Beacon.

After the first wave of Grimm is fought off, there is estimated to be at least a few hours before the next wave arrives. You immediately start using your semblance to heal the injured. You don’t have time to rest. You did not notice your father approaching you from behind. You freeze when he puts his hand on your shoulder and starts talking.

"It's been a while, Jaune." he says to you. You almost start shaking. Even though you have spent a little time with your father over the years, and he has improved by leaps and bounds, you still are, deep down, terrified of him. You take a deep breath and steady your voice.

"This is an active warzone. You need to leave here.", you say. "You are not a huntsman, and you are not a soldier. You need to leave."

"Jaune-", your father says, but you interrupt him.

"Your huntsman license expired many years ago. You have to leave.", you say, just wanting him to leave before you start hyperventilating.

"Jaune listen I-", your father says.

"No, you listen.", you say, desperately trying to maintain your tone. "You are in an active warzone. Leave, or WE will force you to leave, in cuffs or not."

Your team is getting slightly worried because of how you are acting. Your father is in stunned silence. “And that's final. You're excused.", you finish. Your father finally leaves.

"Um...Jaune...are you okay?", Ruby asks, concerned. You do not give her an answer.

Wave after wave of Grimm assail Atlas.

After fighting waves and waves of Grimm, eventually Salem is forced to retreat, as her Grimm were getting killed faster than she could create them. Since team RWBY told Ironwood the truth early on, his plan worked. He had told the world about Salem, and there was enough time to combine what forces all of Remnant could offer.

Although everyone was tired, no one was as tired as you. Most people got to rest between the waves, but you had to heal people with your semblance between the waves.

You had essentially been running on fumes for the last 12 or so hours. You collapse to the ground, and Ruby rushes over, concerned. "Oh my God, are you okay?", Ruby asks, scared.

You try to get up, but your arms fold whenever you put weight on them.

"Qrow? Can you find Jaune a bed or something similar? He just collapsed after having to fight Grimm and heal people for the last 12 hours.", Ruby asks.

You feel yourself being lifted up and placed in a makeshift bed inside a tent.

"Ruby, he's probably going to be sick.", Qrow says. "No one exerts themselves that hard and doesn't get sick."

"He's been through a lot. Hopefully, he is just tired.", Ruby says, worried.

Qrow's prediction was right. When you wake up, Ruby hears you start sniffling and softly coughing. She rushes into the tent you were in. She notices you trying to sit up, so that you can get up and fight, despite your sickness.

"Don't you dare!", Ruby scolds, pushing you back down. "You've been running on fumes for way too long. I'm not going to let you hurt yourself."

"But there's so much to do...", you complain.

"You need to rest. The city isn't going anywhere, and neither am I.", Ruby says sternly, leaving no room for argument.

"I just...don't want to be useless...", you sigh.

Ruby looks at you with softer eyes. "Jaune...if you can barely sit up, you'd just be a liability on the battlefield.", Ruby says, hoping that you will understand.

You try to get up again. She pushes you back down. "I said you're not getting up.", Ruby scolds.

"But-", you try to convince her, but she interrupts you.

"But nothing. You need to rest. Doctor's orders.", Ruby says.

You lie in bed and stare at Ruby and raise an eyebrow. "…But here is no doct-", you try to say.

"Shut up, Jaune.", Ruby says, slightly annoyed. "You are going to rest, and that's final."

You sigh and roll over. You feel useless, just lying-in bed.

Ruby can tell what you are feeling by the look in your eyes. She holds your hand. "Jaune...you're not useless. You're just sick right now.", Ruby says.

"I feel like I'm failing everyone...", you reply, tearing up. Ruby is confused for a moment, then remembers that the medication that she gave you can make people more emotional than usual.

"How are you failing us?", Ruby asks cautiously.

"Because...I should be out there fighting the Grimm! You guys have been doing great so far, we all have! But what if something were to happen and you all needed me? What if a repeat of Weiss getting impaled happens?! I'd just be lying here, being a weak, useless, waste of-"

"Jaune, that's not going to happen.", she interrupts.

"B-but what if-", you stutter out.

"No what ifs. Especially not that one. Now you just rest, and do not worry about anything. Okay?", Ruby says.

Ruby is concerned with how emotional you are being. Although she knows that a side effect of the medication for your sickness can make you emotional, she knows that it does not create the emotion. She wonders where  it is coming from.

"Jaune...where is this coming from? Does it have anything to do with your dad? You looked like you were on the edge of a panic attack.", Ruby asks gently.

A tear rolls down your cheek. You do not respond.

"It does? Tell me about it, please.", Ruby requests.

"...dad...he and I never got along after mom died.", you say. "He never trained me, and would actively do anything he could think of to make me not want to be a hunter. Sometimes...if he found me training by myself...he'd get angry...and..."

"And do what?", Ruby asks.

"Sometimes...he'd give me a brutal beating as 'training' to show me how 'weak' I was.", you say, your arm slightly shaking. You grab your arm to make it stop shaking.

"...He'd hurt you on purpose?", Ruby asks, horrified.

You nod mutely.

"Why would he do that?", Ruby asks.

"He didn't want me to be a huntsman, and he was not in a good place. My Mom had died protecting me from a surprise Grimm assault, and dad blamed me for her death.", you say.

"He went from only drinking at parties to being both constantly drunk, and constantly angry at me. I-I think he only saw me as life mercilessly mocking him that his wife, my Mom, was dead."

Ruby's eyes widen and she covers her mouth. "That's horrible!", she exclaims.

"He eventually saw the light and started improving. Still, I was hurt both mentally and physically for a long time. Part of me is still extremely tense around him...", you say, still showing signs of sadness and fear, "I know it's silly after all this time, with no reason for it, but I'm still scared of him."

"It's not silly.", Ruby scolds gently. "He beat that fear into you for years. It's clear that you still have some trauma from that."

"Yeah...", you sniffle.

You instinctively tense up when you see your father enter the room.

You lightly flinch and almost start hyperventilating when he puts a hand on your shoulder. Some part of you expected him to beat you like he used to.

He just stares at you, before he starts talking.

"I-I'm so sorry, son...I know you probably don't want to see me right now.", he says."I just wanted to let you know that...that I'm proud of you, and how far you've come. I'll...I'll leave you alone now."

He then leaves the tent, and you let out a heavy breath. There is a tension lifted off you once he is gone. You wonder why he decided to approach you now, of all times.

Your attention is brought back to Ruby, who is looking at you intently with concern in her eyes.

"You okay, Jaune?", she asks you.

"...No...", you mumble. "No, I’m not okay. Even though he has not been...like that...for years...I still flinch whenever he touches me. I know it is silly...but I'm still scared of him...ha...ha..."

At this point, the meds have fully kicked in, and you get more emotional. "It's silly, isn't it? That I am still scared of him after all these years...god I'm such a coward...", you say, tearing up.

"No, Jaune, you are a lot of things, and a coward is not one of them. It is completely natural. What he did was fucking horrible, and the fact that you're still scared of him even though he hasn't even TRIED to hurt you in years proves that what he did had a lasting impact on you."

You are about to respond, but Ruby interrupts you. "Hold on, I'm not done yet.", she says.

She takes a deep breath, and then continues. "Jaune...you need to understand that your feelings are valid. It's perfectly understandable and natural to be afraid and have an aversion to people who hurt you.", Ruby soothes. "However, you need to realize that he's not that person anymore. Like you said, he has not beat you in years. As far as you are concerned, he hasn't done anything wrong for years. You need to let it go."

You get agitated. "What?! You just want me to forgive and forget what he did to me?!", you snap.

Ruby blinks at your sudden aggression. She can tell that you have bottled up your feelings of this for a long time.

"I'm not saying you need to go make friends with the asshole, but you can't keep carrying this much animosity towards him. It's eating you up inside, and it does not matter if what he did was years ago or yesterday, the result is the same: it's destroying you.", she says.

You are shaking. "Y-you don't understand...", you say, shaking.

Ruby instantly gets concerned. "Jaune...did he do...anything else to you? Something that you didn't mention?", Ruby asks carefully.

Your reaction to this question is tears. You sob, and her expression changes to one of pained sympathy. She wraps her arms around you.

"It's okay...", she says. "You can tell me. I'm here for you."

"H-he would...force me to take mind altering drugs...", you blubber out. "A-and then he'd make me get a-addicted to them, s-so he could then stop giving them to me, so he c-could force me to have b-bad withdrawals."

Ruby doesn't know how the fuck any parent that can to that to a child, let alone their own child.

"...I've heard enough. This...this is too fucked up. I get it now.", Ruby says.

"T-that's why I-I'm probably n-never going to forgive him. I-I can't. I can't b-bring myself to.", you sob out.

"Shhh, it's OK...you don't have to forgive him. I'm sorry. I didn't know the extent of how much of a monster he was.", Ruby soothes, as she pulls you into a hug.

She is glad that she was wearing a spare shirt right now, as you start sobbing hard into her. She strokes your hair as you cry into her shoulder.

She spends the rest of the night consoling you, until you manage to fall asleep with her arms around you.

Yang walks in and is instantly extremely concerned to see Ruby holding you, with tears still going down your face as your sleep. "Uh...should I even ask what happened?", Yang asks, confused and worried.

"...I'm not sure if I should explain...or if I should let him explain when he wakes up.", Ruby says. "But...I can say that it relates to his childhood. He has a lot of pent-up trauma that he's bottled up for years."

"Well, maybe it's good that it's finally coming out in the open. What happened?", Yang asks.

"He told me that after his mom died, his dad, who really doesn't deserve that title, started abusing him really badly.", Ruby says, hoping that you will understand her telling Yang, when you wake up.

"Abusing? Like...?", Yang asks, nervous.

"Like, he forced him to get addicted to drugs, and then would forcibly take them away, making him go through hellish withdrawals. He also got really physical too.”, Ruby explains, still stroking your hair as you sleep.

"Fuck! I'm going to kill that fucker.", Yang seethes. "No one hurts MY friends and lives to tell the tale!"

Ruby sighs. "And the worst part? There is no evidence of him ever doing it.", Ruby says, angry. "His 'father' always made sure that there was no physical evidence."

"That's fucked up.", Yang says, sighing.

Ruby sighs. "I'm just glad he managed to get over the drug addiction ingrained into him.", she says.

"Wait...Jaune's addicted to drugs?!", a new voice says. The pair of you turn to see Weiss, who just walked in.

"Weiss, wait! I-It's not what you think. Just let me explain.", Ruby says. "Can you get the rest of them? I...don't want to have to explain this too many times."

"Of course, I'll get them.", Weiss says with a nod.

Weiss walks out, going to go get the rest of your other friends. "So, you have something to say about Jaune?", Nora asks nervously.

Ruby sighs deeply again. "After his mom died, his 'father' abused him. He would do things like beating him, even up to forcefully getting him dangerously addicted to drugs, and then keeping them from him, to make him go through hellish withdrawals.", Ruby explains.

Weiss pales, and suddenly feels extreme guilt.

"Weiss? Are you okay?", Yang asks.

"I...t-that...it explains something...", Weiss says, her voice shaky. "One day, when he asked me out to the dance, after me repeatedly telling him off, I snapped. I slapped him as hard as I could. I used to never understand his sudden fear reaction when I slapped him but...but now I do, and I feel horrible."

Yang hugs Weiss. "You didn't know, Weiss. And, you apologized to him, and he forgave you.", Yang comforts. "Don't blame yourself."

By this point, everyone is in the room, and two of your friends are sobbing. Your other friends look extremely sympathetic.

You slowly start to wake up, still being held by Ruby. "...what? Why is everyone here?", you ask tiredly. You look at your friends, who are looking extremely concerned at you. They all suddenly pull you into a huge group hug.

As you sit there, being held closely by all your friends, you finally realize something.

You have never felt more accepted, or felt like you belonged, anywhere else other than here, apart from your mother’s embrace. They feel you start crying.

"Wait, are you crying? Did we upset you?" Ruby asks in concern.

"No...I'm just...", you manage to say through your tears. "I've never had this before..."

"What? A hug?", Ruby asks, confused.

You manage to laugh. You have always thought it slightly cute how Ruby misses social cues. "No, I haven't had a family...not for a long time...", you say, managing to make a small, but real, smile.

"I mean, you have us now, right?", Ruby says, matching your small smile.

You manage to laugh again. "Yeah, I have all of you now.", you say, leaning more into the group hug.

You are most likely never going to forgive your 'father' for the past, but at least now your friends can start to help you through your trauma.


End file.
